Catholic Bishops blast Chakwera in Pastoral letter: ‘Malawians are now in Bagamoyo’

The Catholic Bishops under the Episcopal Conference of Malawi (ECM) have accused President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera of lacking a listening ear.

The Bishops said this in Pastoral letter released on Sunday led out in all Catholic Church across the country.

In the letter the Bishops categolically said they have lost trust in the Tonse Alliance government of President Dr. Lazarus Chakwera and his Vice Dr. Saulos Chilima.

“Fellow Malawians, mindful of our prophetic role to be the voice of the voiceless, we have privately engaged the State President several times. Still, we fail to see any positive change in the general governance of our dear Malawi or any improvement in the plight of our poor brothers and sisters across the country.

“We have repeatedly warned the Government leadership that if poor governance continued, the state of our nation would become far worse than it was four years ago. Unfortunately, our prediction has come true,” reads part of the letter.

In the letter the Bishop claims that instead of Chakwera taking Malawians to Canaan, Malawians are now in ‘Bagamoyo’.

“In spite of all the excitement that the Tonse Government would lead 7 Malawians to the promised land, only four years later, to the disappointment of all except the few well-connected people, Malawi has ended up at Bagamoyo – a city on the east coast of Tanzania, which when a slave arrived there he or she lost all hope of being free again.

“Instead of reaching the promised land of prosperity we are bogged down in the same land we wanted to leave, namely the land of hunger, disease, poverty, corruption and a like.

“Hence, most Malawians, except the very few well connected ones, feel strongly that there is nothing else they can do to turn around the country or improve the deteriorating living conditions. They fail to see anybody in the current Government who cares about them or who is able to improve their situation. They wonder how this Government would answer God’s question to Cain: “Where is your brother Abel?” Would they answer like Cain? “I don’t know. Am I supposed to take care of my brother?” (Genesis 4:9),” added the letter.

In his reaction Minister of Information Moses Kunkuyu said the Tonse Alliance government welcomes the Bishops letter.

He said government will continue engaging the Bishops on various social ills in the country.